$60 for a cat's paw--that's crazy! I've heard it several times, but this thing saves a noticeable amount of weight in my toolbag, and functions well to boot. The dimpler feature is useful, especially when pulling nails from OSB, and the tool just feels and looks great. I have been using mine daily for months, and the head has yet to show any mushrooming like other cat's paws I've owned.
Spring for the expensive one: sometimes it's worth it. Stiletto TICLW12 ClawBar Titanium Nail Puller
If you carry your toolbelt 6 days a week or just feel like fixing a thing or two once in a while this is a great light weight tool to do it with. Product itself is second to none but be aware, amazon still has some old models without the dimple (like the one in their catalog) it has same part number yet two models. Two minute phone call to stiletto tools and i'm getting a new one shipped same day.
Best nail puller I have used to date. The dimpler option might be a bit overrated, but overall the tool is excellent. The biggest problem, the stiletto is so lightweight, I don't notice when my co-workers try and steal it from my toolbag.
Not a contractor here, just a homeowner and I have no experience with the highly touted Sharp clawbars to compare this tool with. However, I love this titanium nail puller. It's very lightweight. The dimpler feature really works by not only reducing the chance of the wood splitting but also making it easier to grip the nail heads under the formed dimples. I was also surprised at how resilient the titanium is against nail heads. After pounding repeatedly on the dimpler with a hammer and pulling maybe 30 large nails with it, I can see that the titanium claws are clearly hardened and do not get dented or scratched by the nail heads. I have not tried it on headless nails to see how it will grip, but it grips very tightly on all those nails with heads that I tried to pull.
I will never use another Nail Puller other than the Stiletto ClawBar.
I bought this Stiletto Titanium Nail Puller.
I liked it allot and so did my Co-Workers, so I bought seven(7) of them at discount for $77.20 a piece (including shipping!) and sold them to my Co-Workers for the same amount. None of them broke and they work very well, however there are some things you should know or should do.
1) Take some 3/16 thick blaze-orange/yellow/green, cord/rope, and thread the cord through the holes of the nail puller. Starting at the far end and working up to the "Stiletto" logo, tie off, and fill the last two holes (that have the knots you just tied) with high-temp glue-gun glue to hold it in place. This is so if you drop it on the snow,dirt,sand,backfill,water,mud, you will see it, and will not loose it, also helps the grip wen its raining. This will also help you see you're Stiletto Nail puller from far away wen a co-worker snags it and is up on the roof with it, and you can give him a ear full.
If they take it again, introduce the mans arm to the chop saw...
2) Switch to a Titanium framing hammer, One I like is
Vaughan 07165 16-Ounce Dalluge Titanium Hammer, 19-Inch Curved Hickory Handle
Use-ing a Titanium hammer will be allot nicer to the Titanium Nail puller, I found that hitting it with a steel headed hammer dents it a bit more.
Also, use-ing a smooth face Titanium hammer is even better against this Nail puller than a milled one.
3) All Nail puller claws can be dented or chiped, and a Titanium one is no exception. Take the time to line up the claws so they go around the nail, and not into the nail head or shaft. Take the time to do this and it will last a long time. Never attempt to pull out Tico Nails(joist hanger nails) that are in and against a hanger plate, this will dent the Stiletto Nail puller claws quicker than you can swear/curse.
Keep a Bear Claw(call it the loner) laying around on the deck near the blueprints table just in case you need to do this.
Here is a big one good for any job:
Vaughan & Bushnell BC13 13-Inch Bear Claw Nail Puller
Dimpler: This works best for taking out Hand Nails. Nail-Gun Nails are usually launched in to deeply for the Dimpler to be effective. If you can, adjust the PSI on the compressor so the nails aren't "lanced through to the 4th dimension".
The Dimpler does not work on OSB very well at all, don't even try.
Be careful not to strike the Dimpler nipple with the hammer wen sinking the claws in to the wood, its possible to knock a chunk off the Dimpler nipple (you have to hit it very hard, but its happened once that I know of).
Remember:
DO-NOT-EVER lone out you're Stiletto ClawBar!
If some guy asks for it just say out loud,
"Why buy it? wen you can borrow it! -hah!" and laugh.
If they ask again, offer to sell it to them, if they refuse point to the 13 inch Bear Claw lying on the blue print table.
Or you can buy the worst Nail Puller ever made for use as "The Loner" this thing will teach em to put there nails in straight the first time.
Dead On EX12 12-5/8-Inch Exhumer Nail Puller/Saw Wrench/Nail Pic/ Bottle Opener
As nail pullers go, this one is first rate for just about anyone but a professional framer. It is extremely lightweight (obviously since it is titanium), but it is also well-designed with two pulling surfaces and excellent angles for generating leverage. It also has a design element represented by the hole near the larger head that allows you to access nail heads that are flush with the wood. This is a big plus and works well. If I were a professional framer, I would like the light weight and ease of use, but might be overly careful of it due to its expense. As a weapon for the Zombie Apocalypse, it would be nice as a backup piece, since you wouldn't get so tired from swinging it. I would, however, want it a few inches longer. - Framing - Titanium - Lightweight - Nail Pullers'
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